Automatic paraffin cutter



May 30, 1950 w. A. GOULD AUTOMATIC PARAFFIN CUTTER Filed June 1'7, 1946Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,509,492 I IAUTOMATIC PARAFFIN CUTTER William A. Gould, Hobbs, N. Mex. ApplicationJune 17, 1946, Serial No. 677,229

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in automatic paraflin cutters foroil and gas wells.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved reciprocating androtating automatically operated paramn cutter for oil and gas wells.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved reciprocatingand rotating automatically operated parafiin cutter and brush forcleaning the inside walls of the well casing in an oil well or gas well.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improvedreciprocating and rotating automatically operated paraflin cutter andbrush and an interconnected choke for cleaning the inside surface of anoil or gas well casing.

A stih further object of the invention is to provide an improvedautomatic parafiin cutter for oil and gas Wells which will be highlyeflicient in use and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanyingdrawings which form. a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through an oil or gas well casingshowing the improved automatic paralfin cutter in position therein;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Figure1;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-4 of Figure1, and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the followingspecification and the accordpanying drawings to designate correspondingparts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an oil or gas wellcasing shown as having interconnected threaded casing or pipe sectionsI, 2 and 3. Annularly disposed stopflanges 4 and 5 areformed adjacentthe ends of the casing sections I and 3, the purpose of which will behereinafter described.

A sectional rod or tubegenerally denoted by the reference numeral '6iscomposed of. a plurality of sections having internally threaded endsockets I adapted to receive the adjacent threaded pipe or tube end 8.

A transversely extending stop arm or bracket 9 is secured to the rod 6adjacent its upper end, and is adapted to engage the interiorly disposedannular stop flange 4 in the upper end of the casing I.

t I 2 H A wire brush II] is mounted loosely about the rod 6 for spira]as well as rotary movement and engages or contacts the inner surface ofthe well casing to clean the same in a manner to be described.

Slidably disposed on the rod 6 below the brush IEI is a cutter blade IIhaving a supporting web I2 and somewhat resilient cutting edges I3 andI4 for cutting the paraflin from the inner surface of the well casing asthe 'device automatically rotates and reciprocates upwardly anddownwardly within the Well casing.

The upward and downward movement of the cutter H on the rod 6 is limitedby the enlargements I'Sand I6" on the said rod 6.

A tubular housing I'Iis slidably received in the well casing adjacentthe lower end of the rod 6, and is reduced or swaged down to provide thelower end housing portion I8 through which the vertically arrangedoppositely disposed slots I9 and 20 are formed.

A cross rod or pin 2| is slidably received within and extends throughthe housing I8 between said slots I9 and 20, and functions as a pintlefor the spaced hinges 22 and 23, which in turn are connected with thesemi-circular damper or choke plates 24 and 25. The cross rod is thussecured to the plates but, of course, other securing means may beutilized.

The lower end of the rod 6 is formed with the oppositely disposed springfingers 26 and 21, whose lower extremities are hinged at their innersurfaces as at 2B and 29 to the center of the straight edges of saidchoke plates 24 and 25.

The opposite ends of the rod or pin 2| not only extend through theopposite slots I9 and 20, but extend outwardly therebeyond so as to beengaged by the annularly disposed stop flange 5 on the lower section 3of the well casing.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the mode ofoperation will be as follows;

When theautomatic paraflin cutter is in position within the well casing,its action will. be an automatic rotary and reciprocating one, heldwithin the limits of the stop flanges 4 and 5 formed in the well casing.

It is to be noted that the stop flanges 4 and 5 in the wel1 tubing orcasing function to limit the reciprocating movement of the rod 6received therein; The movement of the rod upwardly is limited by theengagement of the stop flange 4 with the stop arm or bracket 9 which istransversely secured to the rod adjacent its upper end. The sleeve H,which receives the opposing ends of the rod 2|, serves as a weightedguidesleeve for the rod, so that the weight of the sleeve on the rod orpin tends to extend or unfold the plates 24 and 25 and urges them towarda bore closing position transverse in the tubing. Thus, the weight ofthe sleeve, when the pin rests on the lower stop 5, as the entire rodand components thereof drop downwardly in the tubing, tends to force therod 2| outwardly and spread the spring fingers 26 and 21. The plates 24and 25 are thus unfolded about the hinges 28 and 29 and move about thepivot pin or rod 2|.

With the plates disposed in a bore closing position, transverse to thespring fingers, the upward flow of fluid pressure from the well willimpinge on the choke plates and cause the tube 6 and its components tomove upwardly in the tubing. As the rod moves upwardly, the brush andcutter will rotate on the rod. The force of the fluid pressure will becentralized substantially at the middle of the choke plates and willforce the straight edges of the choke plates upwardly in towards theupper space formed by the spring fingers 2G and 21. The fingers being inan expanded position, when the rod begins its upward movement, willreceive the force of the fluid pressure and the force of the fluidpressure at the central point of the plates coupled with the resilientcontractability of the fingers, will force the plates to buckle or moveupwardly to a closed position within the spring fingers.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has beendevised a highly efficient form of, automatic paraflin cutting devicefor oil and gas wells which will be relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and operate.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be understood that it is not intendedto limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor Changes indetail of construction may be resorted to without departure from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An automatic paraffin cutter for use in an oil well flow tubingcomprising an elongated rod having a resilient bifurcated lower end, abrush and cutter carried by the rod, a pair of hingedly connected platespivotally secured to the ends of the branches of the bifurcated end andmovable inwardly thereof to a folded position and outwardly to anextended position thereon, a guide sleeve embracing said end and plates,said sleeve having diametrically opposing slots, a cross bar slidablydisposed in said slots and connected to the hinged edges of the plates,and stop means on the interior of the flow tubing for limiting theupward and downward movement of the rod.

2. An automatic paraffin cutter for use in an oil well fiow tubingcomprising an elongated rod having parallel spring fingers formed on itslower end, a brush and cutter mounted on the rod, a pair of hingedlyconnected plates pivotally secured to the ends of the fingers at theinner surfaces thereof, said plates being movable to an extendedposition transversely of the fingers and to a folded position within thefingers, a cross rod connected to said plates and a sleeve embracingsaid plates and having opposed slots therein receiving the ends of thecross rod.

3. An automatic paraffin cutter assembly for use in an oil well nowtubing comprising an elongated rod having a cutter and brush mountedthereon, spring fingers formed at the lower end of the rod, meanspivotally carried by the fingers for raising the rod in the tubingresponsive to the fluid pressure, said means being movable on thefingers to bore opening and bore closing positions, a cross rodconnected to said means and a guide sleeve for said rod.

4. In an automatic paraffin cutter assembly for use in an oil well flowtubing, an elongated rod received in said tubing, spring fingers formedon the lower end of the rod, a pair of hingedly connected platespivotally affixed to the ends of the fingers at their inner surfaces,means connected to said plates for moving the plates outwardly of thefingers to a bore closing position upon downward movement of the rod,said plates being positionable thereby transversely of the fingers andreactive to the fluid pressure in the tubing for raising the rod.

5. In an automatic paraffin cutter assembly for use in an oil well flowtubing, an elongated rod received in said tubing, spring fingers formedon the lower end of the rod, a pair of hingedly connected platespivotally affixed to the ends of the fingers at their inner surfaces,means operatively connected to said plates for moving the platesoutwardly of the fingers upon downward movement of the rod, said platesbeing positionable thereby transversely of the fingers and reactive tothe fluid pressure in the tubing for raising the rod, said last meansincluding a cross rod connected to the hinged edges of the plates and asleeve embracing said plates and having slots therein for slidablyreceiving the opposing ends of the rod.

6. In an automatic paraffin cutter assembly for use in an oil well flowtubing, an elongated rod received in said tubing, spring fingers formedon the lower end of the rod, a pair of hingedly connected platespivotally affixed to the ends of the fingers at their inner surfaces,means operatively connected to said plates for moving the platesoutwardly of the fingers upon downward movement of the rod, said platesbeing positionable thereby transversely of the fingers closing thetubing bore and reactive to the fiuid pressure in the tubing for raisingthe rod, said means including a cross rod connected to the hinged edgesof the plates and a sleeve embracing said plates and having slotstherein slidably receiving the opposing ends of the rod, stop means onthe interior of the flow tubing for limiting the downward movement ofthe sleeve and elongated rod.

'7. In an automatic paraffin cutter assembly for use in an oil well flowtubing, an elongated rod received in said tubing, spring fingers formedon the lower end of the rod, a pair of hingedly connected platespivotally affixed to the ends of the fingers at their inner surfaces,means operatively connected to said plates for moving the platesoutwardly of the fingers upon downward movement of the rod, said platesbeing positionable thereby transversely of the fingers closing thetubing bore and reactive to the fluid pressure in the tubing for raisingthe rod, said last means including a cross rod connected to the hingededges of the plates and a sleeve embracing said plates and having slotstherein slidably receiving the opposing ends of the cross rod, stopmeans on the interior of the flow tubing for limiting the upward anddownward movement of the elongated rod.

8. In an automatic paraffin cutter assembly for use in an oil well flowtubing, an elongated rod, spring fingers on the lower end of the rod,

a pair of semi-circular plates hingedly secured together at theirstraight edges, means for pivotally affixing the hinged edges of theplates to the inner surfaces of the ends of the fingers, said platesbeing movable inwardly of and outwardly of the fingers into bore openingand bore closing positions, respectively, a cross rod secured to thestraight edges of the plates, a sleeve embracing said plates and havingslots receiving the ends of the cross rod, said cross rod being moveddownwardly by the sleeve to urge the plates outwardly of the fingers,stop means for limiting the downward movement of the sleeve and rod andstop means on the interior of the fiow tubing for limiting the upwardmovement of the rod, said rod being moved upwardly by fluid pressureacting upwardly against the plates when in a tubing bore closingposition.

9. In an automatic parafiin cutter for use in an oil well tubing, anelongated rod having a cutter and brush mounted thereon, spring fingersformed on the lower end of the rod, a pair of hingedly connectedactuating plates pivotally secured to the ends of the fingers at theirinner surfaces, means embracing the plates for urging said platesoutwardly of the fingers into an expanded or bore closing position upondownward gravitation of the rod, said plates, when in an expandedposition, being reactive to the fluid pressure in the well to raise therod, stop means on the interior of the flow tubing limiting the upwardmovement of the rod, said plates being buckled inwardly of the fingerupon engagement of the rod with the stop means.

WILLIAM A. GOULD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 944,008 Bemis Dec. 21, 19091,653,883 Spencer Dec, 27, 1927 1,758,995 Armstrong et a1. May 20, 19301,989,035 Blum Jan. 22, 1935 2,058,825 Rallet et al Oct. 27, 19362,143,450 Pippenber Jan. 10, 1939 2,283,048 Collett May 12, 19422,322,419 Cranford June 22, 1943 2,415,729 Dana Feb. 11, 1947

